La Plata students compete in NHD nationals

Two La Plata Middle School students, Anastasia Campbell and Talyse Hansen, returned from College Park, Maryland, last month where they competed in the National History Day competition against nearly 300 students from across the country.

In their free time, the girls got to have the full Washington, D.C., experience, visiting the national monuments there.

“It was breathtaking,” said Anastasia, a soon-to-be eighth-grader. “I never thought I would make it to nationals. I was a little nervous because there was a lot of people I was competing against. I was blessed to be there.”

Anastasia and Talyse, and teacher Dayna Jones, flew out with other New Mexico national qualifiers on June 10.

When they weren’t competing, the group visited historic sites like the Lincoln Memorial, the White House, the Holocaust Museum, Arlington National Cemetery, the National Air and Space Museum and more.

“My favorite was the Holocaust Museum,” said Anastasia. “It was emotional and I learned stuff I never knew. Some of it was scary and some of it was cool. There was a lot of walking but it was worth the sore feet in the end.”

Jones has been to nationals four times since taking over La Plata’s NHD contest, but still has a great time going.

“I enjoy it and love it, especially taking the kids,” she said. “It is neat to see them see the monuments and to see their reactions for the first time.”

National History Day is a nationwide competition where students put together a college-level research project in history.

“They choose the topic,” said Jones. “They pick something they are interested in. There is tons of history to pick from. They read primary sources, newspapers and documents, and synthesize it into what they learned.”

Students must present their information through an exhibit, website, documentary, performance or paper. To earn a trip to nationals, students must go through a regional and state competition. Out of 25 La Plata students, Anastasia and Talyse were the only two who made it to nationals.

Their project was an exhibit titled “Amelia Bloomer: Loosening Up America’s Women.” Bloomer was a women’s rights activists in the mid-1800s and became the first editor of a newspaper for women, called The Lily.

While she didn’t invent the style of loose trousers that became early women’s underwear, she promoted the shift to them as a less restrictive style of undergarment.

“The idea was original,” said Jones. “There were popular topics, but this one was a less common topic so it was less known in history. The judges at each level appreciated that it was a more unique topic.”

During a time when bloomers were criticized, Anastasia thought Bloomer stood for what she believed in.

“Amelia would proudly advertise the bloomers no matter who casted her out,” she said. “Today women have these rights that they didn’t have back then and it was inspiring that she was a big help to that.”

Talyse, who will be an eighth-grader this coming year, was the one who came up with the topic. The girls have been friends since third grade.

At nationals, the two competed with 10 other groups and finished in the middle of their group.

“I am proud of how they performed,” said Jones. “They worked very hard, deserved to go, did a good project and put effort into it.”

Courtesy Photos

La Plata History Day 1

La Plata students Anastasia Campbell and Talyse Hansen with their exhibit “Amelia Bloomer: Loosening Up America’s Women” at the national competition for National History Day in College Park, Maryland, last month.

La Plata History Day 2

La Plata students Anastasia Campbell and Talyse Hansen with their teacher, Dayna Jones, on top of the Newseum with the Capitol in the background during their trip to National History Day nationals in College Park, Maryland, in June.

La Plata History Day 3

La Plata students Anastasia Campbell and Talyse Hansen in front of the White House during their trip to National History Day nationals in College Park, Maryland, in June.

La Plata History Day 4

La Plata students Anastasia Campbell (front row, far left) and Talyse Hansen (back row, second from right) with students from Lordsburg, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe, meeting with Congressman Steve Pearce a few hours after the shooting during the congressional baseball game in Washington, D.C., while the students were visiting to compete in the nationals for the National History Day competition.

Anastasia – 7 grader and going to 8th Taylse same grade. Exhibit “Ameila bloomer loosiing up america’s women” – a big womens right activist and she was the main reason who are able to women pants called bloomer which went under dress like fluffy pants and made it so they can move easier and it was easier to do everything. Focused on women rights.

Just the two only three qulify to go to nationals over 20 in classroom.

Washington lincoln memorial, JFK, MJ and one day for competition and went where abe died and jefferson, holocaust museum which was sad and vietman memrorial and korean memorial.

“It was breathtaking, I never thought I would make it to national, there was always something new. My favorite was holocaust it was emotional and learned stuff I never new and some of it was scary and some of it was cool.”

Flew on June 10 albe and came back 15.

“It was exciting and me and partner never thought of makingg it to state. When we found out it was the coolest experience in nhd like other presentations and religions from different place. Good learning exprience to learn about people.

Chose topic because I personally would probalby live without the bloomers. I do sports and i wouldn’t be able to do it without it. Nobody knew about her until recently and a rare topic…this made it a better possibitity for us to win.

I thught she was cool. She would go around to states to close to her home. Didn’t care what other people thought. She knew it was the right thing. I think its cool becaues now we are scared for what will happen to us.

The reason why she started advocating is because of her husband. He was editor for a paper. I thought it was cool because men were against that and the bloomers wasn’t her idea. Her friend came up with idea and she worked on them everday. She would proudly advertise them no matter who casted her out and thought i twas right thing to do.

Today’s society – she defienty had an…In every comm she lived in she would alwasy host parties and part of community and alot where buying newsapers and bcause of her nowadays to wear pants and to join sports. We have these right that didn’t have back then and it was inspireing that she was a big help to that.

NHD – I will know more stuff in history then others will. Learning this has made me grateful that I have the opp to learn and go to college’s and become someone.

There was a lot of walking but worth the sore feet in the end.

I was a little nerves because there was a lot of people I was competiting against like one of 300 projects and didn’t have a huge chance of winning but had I was relaxed and made it arther then other people and I was blessed to be their.

“My friends did it in sixth grade and telling how cool and fun it was to learn about history and I tried it it worked out pretty well.

“She brought up the topic and she helped out a lot. She had a really lot of good ideas, part of the reason is because of her. Known her for five years. We became friends in third grade and stuck together.

Ms. Daina Jones.

Stayed in one of the dorms in Univeristy of Maryland they had nice dorms they better air conditioning.

Doing it next even if I don’t make it it will be worth it.

Dyana – 575 313 3765

Dayna Jones – Middle shool teach 7th grade history at la plata for six years. NHD teacher for five years. Fourth year as nationals

They did not make it to finals. Dived into ten groups and palced middleish in their group. Proud of how they performed because they worked very hard and deserved to get to go and did a good project and put effort into it.

“They worked really hard all year. Top two in state go to naitonals. There is a quitt process to get their. It is a year long process.

Both girls first time going to washington DC and took them as many places possible and they had a fabulous time. One day of competition where they have an interview time and see other projects, day for finals and award ceromony. Since we are so far from DC we want to see other things like arlingotn nation cementary, holocaust, went to american history misonian, air and space museum and we meet with state senators such as steve pierce.

They enjoyed it because it is an experience that they might never get again. They see these things on tv like the monuments and makes history real for them and makes it come alive.

Enjoy it and love it and taking kids. Neat to see the kids see the monuments and to see the reactions for the first time. Had 25 students.

Idea was original and in middleschool with popular topic such…bloomer was a less common topic so it was less known in history. The judges at each level apprciate that it was a more unique topic. Travel as a state so their was about 60 including chappornes. We eat in cafertria we had two of my one but seven other lordsburg students.

IT is a reserch project and they chose topic. They pick somehting they are interested in and from political. Tons of history to pick from. Benefits – read primary sources and newspapers, documents and take info and sythezie into limit on words to take what you learned and compact it into a whole story, anitation biblography and benfefical to college. Education benfits they get from it.